


Pillow Fort II (present day)

by torchwood221b



Series: Pillow Forts [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 22:06:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3149960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torchwood221b/pseuds/torchwood221b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John avoids sleeping during thunderstorms. Sherlock builds a pillow fort to help him cope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pillow Fort II (present day)

**Author's Note:**

> Sherlock's POV - Present Day

As a child I was afraid of storms, an irrational fear I know, but one that was very real to me at the time. On stormy days Mycroft would build me a fort with bed sheets thrown over the dining room table and we would hold up in there until the storm passed. On stormy nights he would build me a pillow fort and read me books about pirates by torchlight. We never talk about those days anymore, we barely acknowledge we were children at all, we’re too busy trying to prove which one of us is the cleverest or as John puts it we’re too busy showing off.

Speaking of John, he thinks I don’t notice that he barely sleeps on stormy nights, the first crash of thunder and he’s wide awake until the storm can no longer be heard in the distance. I assume that it brings up bad memories from the war but I won’t ask about it. If John wanted to tell me about that time in his life he would and I’d be more than happy to listen but I won’t pry it out of him and I won’t try to deduce it further than I already have.

The forecast calls for storms all week, knowing John, he won’t be sleeping much if at all and as we’ve just finished up a case for Lestrade and have barely slept John needs his rest. I’m determined to see that he gets it.

There aren’t nearly enough pillows in the flat for what I have in mind so while the weather is still overcast but not raining I head out to the shops to pick up a dozen or two pillows plus pillow cases and extra sheets. Mycroft always took the pillows of the guest beds for my pillow forts so I find myself outfitting the pillows for John’s fort in a similar fashion.

I can hear the thunder in the distance as I unload the cab. John’s making tea when I get inside and he offers me a cup which I decline so I can get to work.

“What are all the pillows for?” he asks me and I reply as I usually do; “it’s for an experiment.”

The construction of the pillow fort goes fairly quickly, I manage to push our bed into the corner without making too much noise and I set the pillows up against the wall, headboard and footboard. I can hear the storm getting closer as I start hanging up the sheets and John comes to investigate as I’m admiring my work.

“What are you doing?” he asks puzzled.

“For whatever reason, you don’t sleep well, if at all, during thunder storms. I had a similar problem when I was a child and making pillow forts always helped me” I tell him.

“Really?’ he questions and I can hear the disbelief in his voice. Sherlock Holmes scared of a storm, impossible but true.

“If you don’t believe me feel free to ask Mycroft,” I offer but John declines to inquire further.

“So how does it work exactly?” he asks me and he doesn’t just say no out of hand.

“We both get in, obviously, Mycroft would read to me until I fell asleep but we could do whatever will help you relax enough to fall asleep,” I offer and am surprised when he quickly changes for bed and selects a book from his nightstand.

“You might as well start from the beginning,” he tells me removing the bookmark “as you can see I haven’t made much progress.”

We both crawl into the pillow fort and I lean against the wall near the footboard and extend my legs. John grabs a pillow to put in my lap before getting comfortable.

“Close your eyes,” I instruct him and even though he shoots me a questioning look with a raised eyebrow he humors me.

I turn on the torchlight and open the book to page one to begin reading aloud. By the time I’m one hundred and fifty pages in the storm is on top of us but John is sound asleep. I mark my place but keep reading until the storm has passed. It takes some doing but I manage to maneuver myself out from under John’s pillow without waking him and into a more comfortable sleeping position. As I pull the blanket over us I silently thank Mycroft for all those times he did this for me years ago.

By week’s end I’ve finished the book, always starting from where John fell asleep and reading until the storm can no longer be heard in the distance. On the last night when I’ve read the last words John is still awake. He insists we change positions, produces a worn copy of Treasure Island from under a pillow and starts reading it to me.

He even does the voices.


End file.
